100 Posts!! Thank You & a Giveaway!!!

Today I've arrived at a milestone with this blog - today will be my 100th post! I have so many people to thank for their unfailing support throughout the years. I decided to start this blog back in 2007 when I was reading over 20 blogs daily and becoming super saturated with inspiration and needed to find an outlet. For the last two years though I've really dug into it and started becoming a tad more disciplined and consistent with writing and posting.

I remember the first time I told someone I had a blog. It was a semi-breakthrough. I've been writing since I was six, in the back of my exercise books, on scrap papers everywhere but never quite sharing with anyone what I was scribbling away about. This blog has provided me with an outlet that allowed me to talk about things that most of my friends never really cared about, and making me reach out to people who had the same questions I did without ever meeting them. It was recently when I noticed that more than half my conversations with people online and via messaging services were about one or another of my posts that I had finally created a space where I could engage others in things they would have otherwise spent time googling or asking a clueless boyfriend. I love this! And as Jamaica grows more conscious and aware of beauty and the art of being polished I hope I can continue to have a space where all this can be discussed without fear of judgment or critique.

Now, let me move on before I turn this into a novel. I want to thank each and every person that has taken the time to read my posts - whether you came here looking for a single post or if you've been reading from the start. You may notice that some posts are gone and others have been edited. As I continue to try to improve the blog there will be changes but the purpose of the blog will never change.

I must give a special shout out to the following persons who have not only stuck with me on this journey but have literally pulled me along the path when I was feeling uninspired or lazy:
 - Tea - for always always checking to see that I was putting out new content and recognizing the effort when I put extra work into a post. I love you for your unfailing support
- Ollie - for seriously being the first guy not to roll his eyes when I told you that I had written a post for guys on my beauty and style blog and for reading every male post and barraging me with questions and ideas every time
- Leah bear - for trying a lot of the diys - you're a peach!
- Trudz - for encouraging me to make this most recent step and taking this leap of faith. Your encouragement seriously meant a lot to me.
- Wubz - I could be writing about sniffing paper and I know you would support me. Thanks for the ever present support.

To all my other friends and family who have tolerated, humored and supported me. I'm indebted you and inspired by your encouragement - thank you mucho!!

Now....

I will be giving away to the winner one of two prizes. 

If you are female then you will receive:

A makeup bag stocked with my all-time favourite makeup products :

Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara, L'Oreal True Match Blush, Revlon Kissable Lip Balm Stain, Maybelline Unstoppable Liner, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. (The blush, stain and bb cream will be in your shade and will be purchased after the winner has been identified.)

If you are male you will receive :

A $5000 gift Certificate to Totally Male to be pampered and polished for the day in the privacy of one of the best spas in Jamaica. Work out those sore muscles from your last game with a massage or get a facial and finally get rid of those ingrown hairs and bumps before taking a special lady out to dinner. 

The rules are:

1. You must be subscribed to/following my blog. You can follow two ways - you can either follow me on bloglovin' by clicking that picture of the woman in the top right section of this page OR scroll down a few from that and in the right column you will see a blue button that says 'Join this Site'.
2. You must like my page on Facebook. To get to that page click here.
3. You need to be over the age of 18 and living in Jamaica with a post office that you can get to or have an address that the mail man delivers items to your gate.
4. Leave me a comment on this post saying "#janekoysen100" to be counted towards to the contest

(Terms & Conditions

If the items mentioned are not available at the end date of the contest in Jamaica, the items will be substituted for other similar items of equal value totaling no more than $6000 JMD. The writer herein therefore makes no guarantee for the specifically named items. In the event that the writer herein dies or is injured before the end of the contest no claims can be made against the writer or her estate for the above-mentioned prizes. Please note that there is no fee required to enter this contest and the only person authorized to conduct this contest is the writer herein. I am not affiliated with any scammers, or telemarketers and this contest is not a raffle or other game as defined by the Gaming and Lotteries Commission.

All information shared on this blog is kept and tracked by Google and is therefore subject to their privacy terms and conditions that the writer herein cannot be held liable or responsible for any information submitted by others on this blog.)

That's it!

For extra entries and to increase your chances of winning you can :

• share this post on Twitter with the hashtag - #janekoysen100
• share a picture from this post on Instagram with the hashtag - #janekoysen100
• share the link to this post on Facebook from my Facebook page with the hashtag #janekoysen100 (so I can find it)

* Also !!! The person with the most shares will win a surprise treat separate from the winner of the giveaway*

THE GIVEAWAY WILL END ON DECEMBER 18, 2013 AT MIDNIGHT - JAMAICAN TIME

Again lovelies, thank you so much for coming here and letting me share my passion with you. Best wishes !

*Jane

NB: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the brands mentioned - I am just a mere fan and all items will be purchased with my own money.

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Top Three Beauty Favourites - October

Every month or so I try to switch up my beauty routine and try something new or challenging. This not only helps to keep me on my toes, but it also helps me to use all the products I have in my beauty stash. In October I wanted to delve into the Fall beauty trends and try darker wine and berry colours on my cheeks and lips. These are the products that I kept reaching for over and over again:

L-R : JORDANA EASY LINER IN CABERNET, TERRA KISS & PLUSH PLUM; L'OREAL INFALLIBLE LIPSTICK IN PERSISTENT PLUM NO 737; MAYBELLINE COLOSSAL VOLUME EXPRESS WATERPROOF MASCARA IN GLAM BLACK; MAC SHEERTONE SHIMMER BLUSH IN AMBERING ROSE

Lips

Fall is all about the dark lips and I am a big lover of red and plum lips. I have been pairing the L'Oreal Infallible lipstick which is a deep plummy red with different shades of lip liner to change its undertone. This is a good way to change up your lipcolour slightly without having to shell out for a new lipstick. The redder lip liner makes the lipstick look more red, the plum one more purple and the brown one deeper like a raisin colour. These pairings give an all day stain that stayed on my lips through a meal, drinks and a three hour long meeting. Though not moisturizing, you can easily swipe on chapstick over the combo to keep your lips supple. You can purchase these at Discount Pharmacy in Manor Park or the Beauty Counter at Chesterville Pharmacy.

Cheeks

I wanted to try darker colours with shimmer to add some sparkle to the matte colours I was wearing and to also skip the highlighter. I went back to the MAC sheer tone because it gave the option of a sheer layer or building it up to a bolder cheek. It also layered really well over an orange blush for a different tone.

Eyes

With the focus on the lips and cheeks, I wanted to go minimal with the eyes which meant no eyeshadow. I reverted to my all time favourite mascara - Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express paired with a thin line on the top of my eyelid. The mascara creates long thick fluttery lashes that are super black and perfect for day or night.

Extra

I had to add in Biotin as a favourite I finished earlier on because it has done wonders for my hair. Along with my routine it has strengthened and thickened it. If you want to read more about that, you can see it here.

What have you been loving for the month of October and what are you eager to try this month?

Till later,

*Jane

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Review - Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick

When I got into wearing lip colour I started out with berry tones, plums and reds - all pretty safe options for my skin tone but then I saw and fell in love with Kerry Washington's lip color on the cover of Elle Magazine and then even more so the new trends with orange and coral lip colours so I went and picked up the Mabelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick in 'Electric Orange' No. 880. It wasn't quite the shade I wanted so I also picked up ''Vibrant Mandarin' No. 885.

                             

I've had the lipsticks now for a couple of months and have worn them out on different occasions to get a proper feel for them. Here are my thoughts thus far:

Packaging

Left - Electric Orange ; Right - Vibrant Mandarin

The packaging is relatively simple and fuss free with a square, faux metal base and a transparent neon cap. The name and number of the lipstick is printed on a sticker on the bottom and the actual colour is pretty close to the colour of the sticker. The cover is the standard snap/pull off cover and you get to the bullet by twisting the bottom. There is nothing fancy but because the cover is neon, it is easy to distinguish from your other lipsticks.

Pricing
The lowest price point I've seen this at is $750 JMD and the highest at $990 JMD so you will be spending more than say a Jordana lipstick but definitely less than a MAC lipstick. I personally don't think that this is bad for the price as Maybelline lipsticks are pretty much reliable.

Application
When you open the tube the first thing that will hit you is the smell. Both smelled slightly different but they had the same base scent. The smell reminds me of if you were to mix the smell at the end of a vanilla candle with play-do. It's not a pleasant smell and it lingers so that you can smell it on your lips for about an hour or so. So boo to that. 

Above - Electric Orange; Below - Vibrant Mandarin

Separately from that however, the colour is true to form and what you see on the bullet is the color pay off you get. The application is therefore almost opaque which is excellent for women of colour because this means that you don't have to apply concealer to get the true colour of the lipstick. Application is smooth because the lipstick is quite moisturizing and has a creamy glossy finish. However, if you layer it on you will see it start to drag and the colour streak a bit. For this reason, I would say to get the best result, apply lip liner to your lips first and dot on the colour rather than swiping it on. If you are going to go lipliner-free then application with a lip brush should help you avoid that streakiness if you intend to layer.

Durability
The product is not one of the long-wearing lip colours offered by Maybelline and therefore will transfer and rub off, but unless you are eating or making out, the colour doesn't fade for about four hours. It also doesn't dry out the lips leaving you with that shriveled lip effect some long wearing lip products cause.

Results
The Vivids lipsticks are true to their name - they provide a bright, basically opaque, creamy colour for the times when you want a bolder look. If you want to tone it down, rim your lips with a deeper coloured lipliner and blend it into the lipstick to bring down the contrast or, mix it with sheer gloss for a lighter feel. I even mixed mine with another lip colour to create a colour I felt more comfortable wearing during the daytime. You can see that diy here .

All in all, this is an excellent solution for those that want great colour pay off but don't want to shell out for higher end lipsticks. I would give this a 7.5/10 with my only complaints being the inability to layer the colour easily and the off-putting smell.

Have you tried these out yet? Which colour are you loving?

Do you have a product you'd like me to try out and review before you buy it? Shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I'll give it a try.

Till later,
**Jane

(I am an Amazon Affiliate and image links are Amazon Affiliate links)

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My Fresh-Faced Routine

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I have a love/hate relationship with foundation. I love how it can look when it looks good but I hate how it feels. So when BB cream hit the shelves I knew that I would be in love with it. So said, so done - you can read my review here.

But BB cream is not foundation so it doesn't have its staying power or the ability to transform into a powder to give a matte appearance. To top it off, the tropical weather encourages makeup to melt off your face or get shinier than you'd like. The simple solution would be to apply face powder and then touch up at lunch time and the end of the day BUT I am way too low maintenance (ahem - lazy) for that. So I figured out a trick that I will share with you.

May I introduce to you my new dream team:

L- Crown Brush Kabuki Face Brush  Centre - Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream  R- MAC MSF Natural in Dark

Step One:
- Apply your normal day time moisturizer on clean dry skin and let it sink in properly. This is very important because if your face is slippery the bb cream will not stay put.

Step Two:
-Shake the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream well and pat on drops to your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. If you've got a larger face like mine you can apply a little more to the bare areas.

Step Three:
- Blend in the BB Cream lightly with the Crown Brush Kabuki Face Brush using circular motions until it is spread out all over your face and blended in. Repeat this using a firmer hand to make sure everything is blended in seamlessly especially along your hairline, ears, jawline and around your nose.

Step Four:
- Use a powder brush and swirl in the MAC MSF Natural and dust lightly over your face blending in. 


And you're done! This combination gives me a smooth, even skin tone without caking up literally all day. No joke, I have driven to the other side of the island, appeared in court and driven back and it stayed put. The products are sheer enough to let your skin breathe so your pores don't clog but still gives you the even skin tone you're looking for with the added spf protection. 

The MSF mimics the texture of real skin so well it's almost scary but I think it needs a review of its own so watch this space for one coming soon. The two put together is exactly what I've been looking for. I will be trying this with other BB creams once I've finished the Maybelline one but this combination so far is quick and easy and gives me great results.

Have you tried this combination? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think

Till later,
**Jane

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No-Melt Makeup

The holidays are coming up so that means outdoor fetes and beach parties. Now a full face of makeup during the day can be a bit jolting especially when it's melting off your face in the heat. Lately, I've been testing out some products that stay put but still get the job done.

Sunscreen
This is a must if you want good skin past your thirties. The only sunscreen I swear by is the Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen with a high enough spf that you don't have to be too concerned about re-applying and there is barely any smell. This will be in my good graces for a very long time.


Neutrogena Dry Touch Ultra Sheer Sunblock


Moisturizer
Gel moisturizer is the way to go. You don't have to wait eons for it to absorb into your skin and it leaves your face completely matte and dry for the face products you want to apply afterwards. A few I like are:

           
Garnier moisture rescue gel - cream                         Clinique Dramatically different moisturizing gel


Foundation
This is a bit of an iffy. Cream, liquid or powder foundation can cake up or melt off in the heat. The trick is to look for something that absorbs well into the skin. MAC's mineralized skin finish (MSF) natural powders seem to get this really really well. It is a finely milled powder that is super light-weight, layer-able and long-lasting. This plus a concealer that sticks well is really all you need. It also has spf which is always a good thing. You can apply with a brush or a clean wet sponge for heavier coverage.




Concealer
I've hyped the Mac Studio Cream Concealer over and over to everyone that will listen and I will continue to do so. This seriously does not melt off. But, if you don't want to spend on this then I would suggest trying the Black Opal Stick Concealer.

                                      
Black Opal                                                                        MAC Studio finish concealer


Blush
A powder blush will be your best friend. However if you want to amp up your cheeks layer a powder blush over your cream blush for a stay-put look all day. I particularly like the Arista blushes.

                                                        
                                                  Arista

Eyes
Anything that is waterproof will be a good idea. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara are a must. To be safe, avoid makeup on your bottom lash line as this can turn into raccoon eyes really quickly. Laying down an eyeshadow primer before you put on your shadows will make them last three times longer. Avoid cream eyeshadows if you want to avoid creasing or melting.
 Eyeshadow primers I recommend are:

  



Lips
If you read my blog you will know what I'm going to say. Lipstains are your best best. Full stop. lol. Here are my current faves.


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm



And that's it! I'll be uploading a video very soon to show you how I put it all together. Till next time lovelies!

**Jane

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